Mail receptacle



E mm mm M. R .L M M Feb; 21, 195

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1.947

EUAS v. Aw

Feb. 23, 1950 E. v. mus 2,498,361

' MAIL RECEPTACLE Filed April 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig}. 2 HQ, 3

ELEAS VD DAVES Patented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4: Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in a mail receptacle.

The receptacle to which the invention applies in particular is of the type of repository which is installed on exterior doors of dwellings or on walls or the like for the reception of letters, messages and similar papers normally delivered thereinto for subsequent removal by the addressees but is not limited, within the purview of the invention, to any specific class of mail or message matter.

An object of the invention is to provide a mail receptacle which will be efficient in operation.

Another object is to provide a receptacle which may be readily and economically fabricated.

A further object is to provide a receptacle of the character described which will be simple and compact in assembly.

Other advantages will be apparent from the description of the invention hereinafter set forth.

According to the invention, the mail receptacle comprises a bracket, attachable to a supporting structure, consisting of a back panel and a pair of marginal side walls forwardly extended therefrom. The bracket carries a front door and top cover pivotably connected thereto at the top thereof, and a tiltable bottom or ejector co-operatively associated with the door to effect the opening thereof for the discharge of the contents of the receptacle.

The invention is embodied in a mail receptacle exemplified by the accompanying drawings, in which the views areas follows:

Fig. l, a perspective of the receptacle discharging the contents thereof;

Fig. 10:, an isometric view of the door;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the bracket;

Fig. 2a, a section, enlarged, taken on line a-a of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3, a front elevation of the bracket.

The receptacle is carried by a bracket (Figs. 2 and 3) consisting of a back panel I and a pair of marginal side walls 2 extending forwardly therefrom and preferably formed integrally with the panel.

At the top thereof, the panel I is curved inwardly forming a partial cover portion 3 for the receptacle, and at the bottom is terminated in an inwardly directed flange 4. The panel is slotted, as at 5, to permit the passage therethrough of suitable fastening members whereby to secure to a supporting structure, such as a door, post, wall, or the like.

Adjacent the bottom thereof, the panel I has a pair of inwardly-projecting, horizontally-spaced deflectors 6, to deflect papers impinging thereon toward the front of the receptacle thereby preventing the lodgement of mail in the rearmost recesses thereof. The deflectors 6 may be formed by slotting out triangular portions of'the material forming the back panel and folding the slotted portions inwardly thereof (Fig. 2a).

The side walls 2 terminate at the bottom thereof in downwardly inclined hinge extensions 1 to which is pivoted an ejector comprising a bottom panel 8 and a pair of cam members 9 extending upwardly from the side marginal edges thereof. The panel 8, forming the bottom of the receptacle, is normally supported along the rear edge thereof upon the flange 4 and is tiltable upwardly to abut a pair of limit stops in defined by the bottom edges of the side walls 2.

The receptacle is fitted with a front door II from which a pair of side marginal flanges l2 extend rearwardly to overlie the side walls 2 to which they are pivoted at the top thereof by pivot pins or shafts [3.

The door may have a window I4, and be fitted with a suitable lock having a bolt for which a slot, as at l5, may be cut in one. of the side walls 2. An inwardly inclined flange 16, formed along the bottom of the door, functions as a drip against rain water and may serve as a handle means for opening the receptacle.

The receptacle is fitted at the top with a cover I! having a pair of downturned flanges along the side edges marginally thereof, l8, which are adapted to overlie the door flanges Il The cover flanges l8 terminate in hinge members l9 extending rearwardly thereof and apertured for engagement by the pivot shafts [3 upon which they have pivotal movement in common with the door flanges [2.

The cover has a downwardly inclined flange 20 formed along the front edge thereof to serve as a drip against rain water.

The hinge members l9 are formed along the top edges thereof to define striker members 2!, adapted, upon pivotal movement of the cover upwardly, to abut a pair of stop flanges 22 formed integrally with the door flanges by holding back the upper rear corners thereof to overlie the hinge members l9. The stop flanges are positioned in relation to the striker members so as to insure the return of the cover by gravity to closure, following the lifting thereof for the introduction of mail into the receptacle.

In practice, mail matter is removed from the receptacle by extending the hand to press the bottom panel 8 inwardly, as shown in Fig. l,

, whereby to bring the cams 9 into engagement charge outlet therebetween. Further, the exftension of the hand to press the bottom panel in- -tvardly brings the palm of the hand into a natural and convenient relation with the receptacle to receive mail discharged therefrom.

It will be understood that all the panels and their associated flanges are formable from in- -'1.=dividual blanks of simple pattern, from which they are readily foldable to provide the essential body components of the receptacle.

Further, a receptacle constructed in accordance with the invention will be simple and compact in the assembly thereof, requiring a minimum of fastenings, the door and cover members, for example, being hingeable on common pivot connections.

If fabricated from metal sheets, the flanges exposed to manual handling may have their edges hemmed in a manner well known in the art, to prevent scratching the hand of the operator.

The invention will thus be seen to provide a receptacle of the character described which may be readily and economically manufactured from sheet stock of any suitable material and appropriate gauge.

Of course, the invention is susceptible of a variety of modifications, as in the design and assembly of the component panels and flanges essential thereto, without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, as hereinafter set out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mail receptacle comprising a bracket having a back panel adapted for attachment to a supporting structure and terminating at the bottom thereof in a downwardly inclined flange and a pair of side walls extending forwardly of said panel, a front door for said receptacle having rearwardly extending marginal door flanges overlying said side walls and pivoted thereto at the top thereof, a cover for said receptacle pivotably connected thereto on shafts in common with said door flanges, a bottom carried by said bracket and tiltable to simultaneously urge said door outwardly and eject the contents of said receptacle.

2. A mail receptacle comprising a bracket having a back panel adapted for attachment to a supporting structure and terminating at the bot tom thereof in a downwardly inclined flange and a pair of side walls extending forwardly of said panel, a front door for said receptacle having rearwardly extending marginal door flanges overlying said side walls and pivoted thereto at the top thereof, a cover for said receptacle having downwardly extending marginal flanges overlying said door flanges and pivotable upon shafts in common therewith, a bottom carried by said bracket and tiltable to simultaneously urge said door outwardly and eject the contents of said receptacle.

3. A mail receptacle comprising a bracket having a back panel adapted for attachment to a supporting structure and terminating at the bottom thereof in a downwardly inclined flange and a pair of side walls extending forwardly of said panel, a front door for said receptacle having rearwardly extending marginal door flanges overlying said side walls and pivoted thereto at the top thereof, said door flanges terminating at the upper rear corners thereof in stop flanges formed integrally therewith, a cover for said receptacle having downwardly extending marginal cover flanges overlying said door flanges and pivotable upon shafts in common therewith, said cover flanges terminating in rearwardly extending hinge members having striker edges formed at the top thereof in engageable relation with said stop flanges and limited in upward pivotal movement thereby, a bottom carried by said bracket and tiltable to simultaneously urge said door outwardly and eject the contents of said receptacle.

4. A mail receptacle comprising a bracket having a back panel adapted for attachment to a supporting structure and a pair of marginal side walls, a door pivotably connected at the top thereof to said bracket, a bottom pivotably connected to said bracket, cam means carried by said bottom and engageable with said door to effect the opening thereof upon application of inwardly directed pressure to said bottom and a cover arranged on said receptacle.

ELIAS V. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

